April 4
Events *1581 - Francis Drake completes a circumnavigation of the world and is knighted by Elizabeth I. * 1655 - The miraculous statue entitled the Infant of Prague is solemnly crowned by command of Cardinal Harrach. *1660 - Declaration of Breda by King Charles II of England. *1721 - Sir Robert Walpole enters office as the first Prime Minister of the United Kingdom under King George I. *1812 - U.S. President James Madison enacted a ninety-day embargo on trade with the United Kingdom. *1814 - Napoleon abdicates for the first time. *1818 - The United States Congress adopts the flag of the United States with 13 red and white stripes and one star for each state (then 20). *1841 - William Henry Harrison dies of pneumonia becoming the first President of the United States to die in office and the one with the shortest term served and John Tyler takes the oath of office becoming the first Vice President of the United States to become president to serve the remainder of the terms. *1850 - The Great Fire of Cottenham, a large part of the Cambridgeshire village (England) is burnt to the ground under suspicious circumstances. * 1850 - Los Angeles is incorporated as a city. *1859 - Bryant's Minstrels debut "Dixie" in New York City in the finale of a blackface minstrel show. *1865 - American Civil War: A day after Union forces capture Richmond, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln visits the Confederate capital. *1866 - Alexander II of Russia narrowly escapes an assassination attempt in the city of Kiev. *1887 - Argonia elects Susanna M. Salter as the first female mayor in the United States. *1905 - In India, an earthquake near Kangra kills 370,000. *1913 - The Greek aviator Emmanuel Argyropoulos becomes the first pilot victim of the Hellenic Air Force when his plane crashes. *1918 - World War I: Second Battle of the Somme ends. *1930 - The Communist Party of Panama is founded. *1939 - Faisal II becomes King of Iraq. *1945 - World War II: American troops liberate Ohrdruf forced labor camp in Germany. * 1945 - World War II: Soviet Army takes control of Hungary. *1949 - Twelve nations sign the North Atlantic Treaty creating the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. *1960 - Senegal independence day. *1965 - The first model of the new Saab Viggen fighter aircraft plane is unveiled. *1967 - Martin Luther King delivers his "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence" speech in New York City's Riverside Church. *1968 - Martin Luther King is assassinated at a motel in Memphis, Tennessee. * 1968 - Apollo program: NASA launches Apollo 6. * 1968 - AEK Athens BC becomes the first Greek team to win the European Basketball Cup. *1969 - Dr. Denton Cooley implants the first temporary artificial heart. *1973 - The World Trade Center in New York is officially dedicated. *1975 - Microsoft is founded as a partnership between Bill Gates and Paul Allen. * 1975 - Vietnam War: Operation Baby Lift - A United States Air Force C-5A Galaxy crashes near Saigon, South Vietnam shortly after takeoff, transporting orphans - 172 die. *1976 - Prince Norodom Sihanouk resigns as leader of Cambodia and is placed under house arrest. *1979 - President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto of Pakistan is executed. *1983 - Space Shuttle Challenger makes its maiden voyage into space (STS-6). *1984 - President Ronald Reagan calls for an international ban on chemical weapons. *1988 - Governor Evan Mecham of Arizona is convicted in his impeachment trial and removed from office. *1991 - Senator John Heinz of Pennsylvania and six others are killed when a helicopter collides with their plane over an elementary school in Merion. *1994 - Marc Andreessen and Jim Clark found Netscape Communications Corporation under the name "Mosaic Communications Corporation". *1996 - Comet Hyakutake was imaged by the USA Asteroid Orbiter Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous. *2002 - The Angolan government and UNITA rebels sign a peace treaty ending the Angolan Civil War. *2007 - 15 British Royal Navy personnel held in Iran are released by the Iranian President. Births * 186 - Caracalla, Roman emperor (d. 217) *1492 - Ambrosius Blarer, German reformer (d. 1564) *1572 - William Strachey, English writer (d. 1621) *1593 - Edward Nicholas, English statesman (d. 1669) *1646 - Antoine Galland, French archaeologist (d. 1715) *1648 - Grinling Gibbons Dutch-born woodcarver (d. 1721) *1688 - Joseph-Nicolas Delisle, French astronomer (d. 1768) *1718 - Benjamin Kennicott, English churchman and Hebrew scholar (d. 1783) *1772 - Nachman of Breslov, founder of Breslov Hasidut (d. 1810) *1785 - Bettina von Arnim, German writer (d. 1859) *1802 - Dorothea Dix, American social activist (d. 1887) *1819 - Queen Maria II of Portugal (d. 1853) *1821 - Linus Yale, American inventor and manufacturer (d. 1868) *1826 - Zénobe Gramme, Belgian engineer (d. 1901) *1842 - Edouard Lucas, French mathematician (d. 1891) *1846 - Comte de Lautréamont, French writer (d. 1870) *1858 - Remy de Gourmont, French poet (d. 1915) *1875 - Pierre Monteux, French conductor (d. 1964) *1876 - Maurice de Vlaminck, French painter (d. 1958) *1882 - Kurt von Schleicher, Chancellor of Germany (d. 1934) *1884 - Isoroku Yamamoto, Japanese naval commander (d. 1943) *1888 - Tris Speaker, American baseball player (d. 1958) * 1888 - Zdzisław Żygulski, Polish literary historian (d. 1975) *1895 - Arthur Murray, American dance teacher (d. 1991) *1896 - Robert E. Sherwood, American playwright (d. 1955) *1897 - Pierre Fresnay, French stage and film actor (d. 1975) *1898 - Agnes Ayres, American actress (d. 1940) *1902 - Louise Leveque de Vilmorin, French actress (d. 1969) * 1902 - Stanley G. Weinbaum, American science-fiction author (d. 1935) *1906 - Bea Benaderet, American actress (d. 1968) * 1906 - John Cameron Swayze, American journalist (d. 1995) *1908 - Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, American memoirist (Cheaper by the Dozen) (d. 2006) *1911 - Max Dupain, Australian photographer (d. 1992) *1913 - Frances Langford, American actress (d. 2005) *1914 - Marguerite Duras, French writer (d. 1996) *1915 - Muddy Waters, American musician (d. 1983) *1916 - Edith Fore, old lady in commercial ("I've fallen and I can't get up!") (d. 1997) * 1916 - Mickey Owen, American baseball player (d. 2005) * 1916 - David White, American actor (d. 1990) *1918 - George Jellicoe (d. 2007) *1920 - Éric Rohmer, French film director *1922 - Elmer Bernstein, American composer (d. 2004) *1924 - Gil Hodges, American baseball player and manager (d. 1972) *1925 - Claude Wagner, French Canadian politician and judge (d. 1979) * 1925 - Emmett Williams, American poet (d. 2007) *1928 - Maya Angelou, American writer *1931 - Bobby Ray Inman, American admiral and intelligence director *1932 - Clive Davis, American record producer * 1932 - Estelle Harris, American actress * 1932 - Dick Lugar, American politician * 1932 - Anthony Perkins, American actor (d. 1992) * 1932 - Andrei Tarkovsky, Soviet film director (d. 1986) *1933 - Bill France, NASCAR pioneer (d. 2007) *1938 - A. Bartlett Giamatti, American university president and Commissioner of Baseball (d. 1989) *1939 - JoAnne Carner, American golfer * 1939 - Major Lance, American singer (d. 1994) * 1939 - Hugh Masekela, South African musician *1940 - Sharon Sheeley, American songwriter * 1940 - Richard Attwood, British racing driver *1942 - Jim Fregosi, American baseball player and manager * 1942 - Kitty Kelley, American writer *1944 - Magda Aelvoet, Belgian politician * 1944 - Craig T. Nelson, American actor *1945 - Daniel Cohn-Bendit, French political activist * 1945 - Caroline McWilliams, American actress *1946 - Dave Hill, English guitarist (Slade) * 1946 - Katsuaki Sato, Japanese martial artist *1947 - Luke Halpin, American actor * 1947 - Wiranto, Indonesian general *1948 - Michael Blassie, U.S. Air Force officer (d. 1972) * 1948 - Berry Oakley, American bassist (The Allman Brothers Band) (d. 1972) * 1948 - Abdullah Öcalan, leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party * 1948 - Dan Simmons, American writer * 1948 - Derek Thompson, Northern Irish actor *1949 - Junior Braithwaite, Jamaican singer (The Wailers) (d. 1999) * 1949 - Shing-Tung Yau, Chinese mathematician *1950 - Christine Lahti, American actress *1951 - Hun Sen, Prime Minister of Cambodia *1952 - Rosemarie Ackermann, German athlete * 1952 - Pat Burns, Canadian ice hockey coach * 1952 - Gary Moore, Irish guitarist (Thin Lizzy) * 1952 - Gregg Hansford, Australian motorcycle and touring car racer (d. 1995) *1953 - Robert Bertrand, Canadian politician *1956 - David E. Kelley, American writer and television producer * 1956 - Tom Herr, American baseball player *1957 - Ali El Haggar, Egyptian singer and actor * 1957 - Aki Kaurismäki, Finnish film director * 1957 - Graeme Kelling, Scottish musician (Deacon Blue) (d. 2004) * 1957 - Kelso, American racehorse (d. 1983) * 1957 - Nobuyoshi Kuwano, Japanese musician (Rats & Star) *1958 - Cazuza, Brazilian poet, singer and composer (d. 1990) * 1958 - Mary-Margaret Humes, American actress *1960 - Jane Eaglin, English soprano * 1960 - Hugo Weaving, Nigerian-born English-Australian actor *1962 - Craig Adams, English musician and songwriter (The Sisters of Mercy, Mission UK) *1963 - Jack Del Rio, American football player and coach * 1963 - Graham Norton, Irish talk show host * 1963 - Dale Hawerchuk, Canadian ice hockey player *1964 - David Cross, American actor and comedian * 1964 - Branco, Brazilian football player and coach * 1964 - Robbie Rist, American actor *1965 - Robert Downey Jr., American actor *1966 - Nancy McKeon, American actor *1968 - Jennifer Lynch, American director *1970 - Barry Pepper, Canadian actor *1971 - John Zandig, American professional wrestler * 1971 - Yanic Perreault, Canadian ice hockey player * 1971 - Josh Todd, lead singer of rock band Buckcherry. *1972 - Magnus Sveningsson, Swedish musician (The Cardigans) *1973 - David Blaine, American illusionist *1973 - Chris McCormack, Australian triathlete *1974 - Dave Mirra, American athlete *1975 - Pamela Ribon, American author, actress, and comedy writer * 1975 - Thobias Fredriksson, Swedish cross-country skier * 1975 - Scott Rolen, American baseball player * 1975 - Delphine Arnault, French billionaire businesswoman *1976 - Emerson, Brazilian footballer *1977 - Adam Dutkiewicz, American guitarist (Killswitch Engage) * 1977 - Stephen Mulhern, Magician, CITV Presenter *1978 - Jason Ellison, American baseball player * 1978 - Lemar, English R'n'B singer * 1978 - Alan Mahon, Irish footballer * 1978 - Irene Skliva, Greek 1996 Miss World winner * 1978 - Sam Moran, Australian entertainer *1979 - Heath Ledger, Australian actor * 1979 - Roberto Luongo, Canadian ice hockey player * 1979 - Natasha Lyonne, American actress *1980 - Johnny Borrell, English singer (Razorlight) * 1980 - Björn Wirdheim, Swedish race car driver * 1980 - Trevor Moore, American comedian *1983 - Doug Lynch, Canadian ice hockey player * 1983 - Fabian Geiser, Swiss footballer * 1983 - Angelle Tymon, American broadcast journalist and game show host *1984 - Arkady Vyatchanin, Russian swimmer *1986 - Aiden McGeady, Republic of Ireland and Celtic Footballer *1987 - Sarah Gadon, Canadian actress * 1987 - Devon Anderson, English actor *1988 - Frank Fielding, English footballer *1991 - Jamie Lynn Spears, American actress *1992 - Alexa Nikolas, American actress *1994 - Risako Sugaya, Japanese singer Deaths * 397 - St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan * 636 - Saint Isidore of Seville, Church Father and the proposed patron of Internet * 896 - Pope Formosus (b. 816) *1284 - King Alfonso X of Castile (b. 1221) *1292 - Pope Nicholas IV (b. 1227) *1305 - Jeanne of Navarre, wife of Philip IV of France *1536 - Frederick I (b. 1460) *1588 - King Frederick II of Denmark (b. 1534) *1609 - Charles de L'Ecluse, Flemish botanist (b. 1526) *1617 - John Napier, Scottish mathematician (b. 1550) *1643 - Simon Episcopius, Dutch theologian (b. 1583) *1661 - Alexander Leslie, Scottish soldier *1701 - Joseph Haines, entertainer and author *1743 - Daniel Neal, English historian (b. 1678) *1761 - Theodore Gardelle, Swiss painter and enameler (b. 1722) *1766 - John Taylor, English classical scholar (b. 1704) *1774 - Oliver Goldsmith, English writer (b. 1728) *1792 - James Sykes, American politician (b. 1725) *1807 - Joseph Jérôme Lefrançais de Lalande, French astronomer (b. 1732) *1817 - André Masséna, Duke of Rivoli, Prince of Essling and Marshal of France (b. 1758) *1841 - William Henry Harrison, 9th President of the United States (b. 1773) *1842 - Jean Moufot, French philosopher and mathematician (b. 1784) *1846 - Solomon Sibley, Senator from Michigan Territory (b. 1769) *1861 - John McLean, U.S. Supreme Court Justice (b. 1785) *1863 - Ludwig Emil Grimm, German painter and engraver (b. 1790) *1864 - Joseph Pitty Couthouy, American naval officer (b. 1808) *1870 - Heinrich Gustav Magnus, German chemist and physicist (b. 1802) *1874 - Charles Ernest Beulé, French archaeologist and politician (b. 1826) *1878 - Richard Brewer, American gunslinger/cowboy (b. 1850) *1879 - Heinrich Wilhelm Dove, German physicist (b. 1803) *1883 - Peter Cooper, American Industrialist, inventor and philanthropist (b. 1791) *1884 - Marie Bashkirtseff, Russian artist and diarist (b. 1860) *1890 - Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau, Quebec politician (b. 1820) * 1890 - Edmond Hébert, French geologist (b. 1812) *1919 - William Crookes, English chemist and physicist (b. 1832) *1923 - John Venn, British mathematician (b. 1834) *1929 - Karl Benz, German engine designer, inventor, and automobile engineer (b. 1844) *1931 - André Michelin, French industrialist (b. 1853) *1932 - Wilhelm Ostwald, German chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1853) *1947 - William O'Donnell, Irish politician (b. ?) *1951 - Al Christie, Canadian film director and producer (b. 1881) * 1951 - George Albert Smith, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the LDS or Mormon Church) (b. 1870) *1953 - King Carol II of Romania (b. 1893) *1957 - E. Herbert Norman, Canadian diplomat (b. 1909) *1958 - Johnny Stompanato, American organized crime figure (b. 1925) *1961 - Simion Stoilow, Romanian mathematician (b. 1873) *1967 - Héctor Scarone, Uruguayan footballer (b. 1898) *1967 - Al Lewis, American songwriter (b. 1901) *1968 - Martin Luther King, American civil rights activist, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1929) *1972 - Adam Clayton Powell Jr., American politician (b. 1908) * 1972 - Stefan Wolpe, German-born composer (b. 1902) *1976 - Harry Nyquist, contributor to information theory (b. 1889) *1979 - Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, President and Prime Minister of Pakistan (b. 1928) * 1979 - Edgar Buchanan, American actor (b. 1903) *1980 - Red Sovine, American country music singer (b. 1917) *1983 - Gloria Swanson, American actress (b. 1899) *1984 - Oleg Antonov, Soviet airplane engineer (b. 1906) *1985 - Kate Roberts, Welsh nationalist and writer (b. 1891) *1987 - C.L. Moore, American writer (b. 1911) *1991 - Edmund Adamkiewicz, German footballer (b. 1920) * 1991 - Max Frisch, Swiss writer (b. 1911) * 1991 - H. John Heinz III, U.S. Senator (b. 1938) * 1991 - Forrest Towns, American hurdler (b. 1914) *1992 - Yvette Brind'Amour, French Canadian stage actress and artistic director (b. 1918) * 1992 - Arthur Russell, American cellist (b. 1951) *1993 - Alfred Butts, American architect and inventor (Scrabble) (b. 1899) *1995 - Kenny Everett, British radio DJ and television entertainer (b. 1944) * 1995 - Priscilla Lane, American singer and actress (b. 1915) *1996 - Barney Ewell, American athlete (b. 1918) * 1996 - Larry LaPrise, American songwriter (b. 1913) *1999 - Faith Domergue, American actor (b. 1924) * 1999 - Early Wynn, American baseball player (b. 1920) *2000 - Tommaso Buscetta, Sicilian mafioso and pentito (b. 1928) *2001 - Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, American custom car designer (b. 1932) *2002 - Harry L. O'Connor, Czech-born film stuntman *2003 - Anthony Caruso, American actor (b. 1916) * 2003 - Resortes, Mexican comedian (b. 1916) *2004 - Alberic Schotte, Belgian cyclist (b. 1919) * 2004 - Casey Sheehan, American soldier, son of Cindy Sheehan (b. 1979) *2005 - Edward Bronfman, Canadian businessman (b. 1924) *2007 - Bob Clark, American film director (b. 1941) * 2007 - Terry Hall, English ventriloquist (b. 1927) Holidays and observances * International Day for Landmine Awareness and Assistance * Lesotho - Heroes' Day * Taiwan and Hong Kong - Children's Day Liturgical Feast days * Saint Isidore of Seville External links * BBC: On This Day * * On This Day in Canada ---- April 04